The stores were closed on Oct. 15, and went through a seven-day overhaul that Putterman said included replacing all of the products sold in the stores, the installation of new shelving units, lighting, and signage.

Each day, between 100 and 200 workers were in the South Orange location working on the transition, she said. The cost of the store rehab was not immediately available.

"The store just feels refreshed," Putterman said. Shoppers returning to the store "will see many of the same smiling faces," she said. "Many" of the store's 84 employees were retained from Pathmark, though not all, she said. Putterman did not have an exact number of employees that signed on to work with the new company.

The other two New Jersey locations - a Pathmark in Kinnelon and an A&P in Closter - are part of later waves, but will both reopen by mid-November, store officials have said.

Stop & Shop executives said each new store is donating $2,000 to a local charity to represent its planned commitment to be involved in the community. In South Orange, the donation will go to the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Essex County, they said.

In statements about the store conversions, president of Stop & Shop New York Metro Division Don Sussman has said the plan is for a smooth transition for local shoppers.

"Stop & Shop is committed to improving the overall shopping experience in these 25 stores to meet the quality, selection and savings that customers have come to expect from us," he said in a statement.